1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an identifying apparatus and method, an identifying system and method, a position detecting apparatus and method, a robot apparatus, and a color extracting apparatus, and more particularly, is suitably applied to an autonomous mobile robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the studies of autonomous mobile robots have been advanced as one of mobile robots. The autonomous mobile robot is capable of sequentially fetching information on surrounding environments to determine its actions by itself based on the fetched information.
The following three methods can be thought as methods for a mobile robot as mentioned above to identify other mobile robots (for example, a first machine, a second machine . . . , and so on). A first method causes respective robots to generate a special signal for identification in the form of radio waves, infrared rays, sonic waves, or the like. A second method paints respective robots in different colors from each other such that the robots are identified based on the colors. A third method adds symbols, bar codes, or the like for identification on surfaces of the respective robots.
The first method, however, requires a special apparatus for transmitting and receiving signals. Besides, regulations stipulated by rules on radio waves and influences to other apparatuses located nearby may not permit desired signals to be transmitted.
The second method may not cause any problem if only a small number of robots are identified because a number of readily identifiable colors may be provided for the number of robots. However, for identifying a large number of robots, the second method must identify subtle differences in color so that the second method requires complicated image processing and is more susceptible to illumination conditions and so on.
In addition, the third method may not observe the signals or the like due to directions and postures of the robot.
On the other hand, the following three methods can be thought as methods of enabling a mobile robot to detect its position within a movable region. A first method adds indicators, such as a color pattern or a signal, on a floor surface of the movable region such that a robot visually reads these indicators. A second method installs transmitters for transmitting radio waves, infrared rays, sonic waves, or the like, on the floor surface and corners of the movable region to permit a robot to detect its position based on the signals from the transmitters. A third method previously gives a robot its initial position by any suitable means such that the robot obtains a moving distance and a moving direction from a driving condition of a moving means of the robot (for example, a rotational number of wheels) and integrates the obtained data in order to detect its current position.
The first method can be realized by a first proposal where a camera disposed on a robot occasionally shoots the floor surface or by a second proposal where a separate camera is provided for monitoring the floor surface.
However, if the first method is to be realized by the first proposal, the robot cannot sufficiently look out its surroundings during directing downward to detect its position. This may cause the robot to collide with another moving object such as another robot. On the other hand, if the first method is to be realized by the second proposal, the provision of a separate camera for monitoring the floor surface causes an increased manufacturing cost, an increased weight of the robot, and a more complicated configuration of the robot.
In the second method, if a transmitter is installed on the floor surface within the movable region of a robot, the transmitter itself would be an obstacle to activities of the robot.
Further, in the third method, a limited measuring accuracy in the moving distance and the moving direction of a robot may result in a larger error in a measurement of a current position of the robot. Particularly, if a robot moves over a long distance while frequently changing directions, accumulated errors will become larger and larger, thus it is difficult to correctly detect a current position.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide an identifying apparatus, an identifying system and method, and a robot apparatus which are capable of reliably identifying a moving object or another object in a simple configuration, a position detecting apparatus and method, and a robot apparatus which are capable of accurately detecting a position of a moving object or its position within a region, and a color extracting apparatus which is capable of accurately extracting a desired color.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of an identifying apparatus which comprises shooting means for shooting identifiers, which are disposed on respective moving objects, having color patterns different from each other, color pattern detecting means for detecting the color pattern of a shot identifier based on a first image information supplied from the shooting means, and identifying means for identifying a moving object having an identifier shot by the shooting means based on the detection result and previously stored color pattern information on the identifiers of the respective moving objects.
As a result, it is possible to readily and reliably identify each moving object.
Further, in the present invention, an identifying method comprises a first step of providing the respective moving objects. with identifiers having color patterns different from each other, a second step of shooting the identifiers of other moving objects by shooting means disposed in each of the moving objects, a third step of detecting the color pattern of the shot identifier based on first image information outputted from the shooting means, and a fourth step of identifying the shot identifier based on the detected color pattern of the identifier and previously stored color pattern information on the respective identifiers.
As a result, it is possible to readily and reliably identify each moving object.
Further, in the present invention, a robot apparatus comprises shooting means for shooting identifiers, which are disposed on other moving objects, having color patterns different from each other, color pattern detecting means for detecting the color pattern of the shot identifier based on image information supplied from the shooting means, and identifying means for identifying the shot identifier based on the detection result of the color pattern detecting means and previously stored color pattern information on the identifiers of the respective moving objects.
As a result, the robot can readily and reliably identify other objects.
Further, in the present invention, an identifying apparatus comprises shooting means for shooting the entirety of the region, color pattern detecting means for detecting color patterns which are different for each moving object and are respectively given at predetermined positions of the moving objects, and identifying means for identifying the moving objects based on the detection result and previously stored information on the color patterns previously given to the moving objects.
As a result, each moving object can be readily and reliably identified.
Further, in the present invention, an identifying method comprises a first step of placing shooting means for shooting the entirety of the region at a predetermined position and giving different color patterns from each other to the respective moving objects at predetermined positions thereof, a second step of detecting the color pattern of each moving object based on first image information outputted from the shooting means, and a third step of identifying each moving object based on the detection results and previously stored information on the color patterns given to the moving objects.
As a result, each moving object can be readily and reliably identified.
Further, in the present invention, a position detecting apparatus comprises a plurality of wall surfaces having different colors from each other which are disposed along the periphery of the region, shooting means, which is disposed in the moving object, for shooting a corresponding predetermined wall surface, color and relative position detecting means for detecting a color of a wall surface shot by the shooting means and a relative position with respect to the wall surface on the basis of first image information outputted from the shooting means, and position detecting means for detecting a position of the moving object within the region on the basis of the detecting results of the color and relative position detecting means, and the colors of all wall surfaces and map information previously stored.
As a result, the position of each moving object can be readily and reliably detected.
Further, in the present invention, a position detecting apparatus comprises shooting means for shooting a corresponding predetermined wall surface out of a plurality of wall surfaces having different colors from each other which are disposed along the periphery of the region, color and relative position detecting means for detecting a color of wall surface shot by the shooting means and a relative position with respect to the wall surface on the basis of first image information outputted from the shooting means, and position detecting means for detecting a position of the moving object within the region on the basis of the detection result of the color and relative position detecting means, and the colors of all wall surfaces and map information previously stored.
As a result, the position of each moving object can be readily and reliably detected.
Further, in the present invention, a position detecting method comprises a first step of providing a plurality of wall surfaces painted in different colors from each other, disposed along the periphery of the region, a second step of shooting a wall surface by the shooting means disposed on the moving object and detecting the color of the wall surface shot by the first shooting means and the relative position with respect to the wall surface on the basis of the obtained first image information, and a third step of detecting the position of the moving object within the region on the basis of these detection results, and the colors of all wall surfaces and map information previously stored.
As a result, the position of each moving object can be readily and reliably detected.
Further, in the present invention, a robot apparatus comprises shooting means for shooting a corresponding predetermined wall surface out of a plurality of wall surfaces having different colors from each other, which are disposed along the periphery of the region, color and relative position detecting means for detecting the color of the wall surface shot by the shooting means and a relative position with respect to the wall surface, and position detecting means for detecting the position of moving object within the region on the basis of the detection results of the color and relative position detecting means, and the colors of all wall surfaces and map information previously stored.
As a result, the position of each moving object can be readily and reliably detected.
Furthermore, in the present invention, a color extracting apparatus comprises level detecting means for sequentially detecting a luminance level and color difference levels of each pixel in an image represented by a video signal based on the luminance signal and the color difference signals of the supplied video signal, and determining means for determining whether or not each pixel has a predetermined color, based on the luminance level and the color difference levels of detected pixel and previously stored upper limit values and lower limit values of the color difference levels for each luminance level.
As a result, a pixel having a desired color can be reliably extracted.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent form the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.